


Teachable Moment

by Daegaer



Series: Pretend to be Human [4]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Androids, Friendship, Gen, Partial Mind Control, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-08-05 20:26:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16374476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: Hakkai unnerves Gojyo.





	Teachable Moment

" _Sir_ ," Hakkai said, his voice low. " _If I could recommend that you visit a pharmacy?_ "

"Don't tell me what to do," Sanzo said, snapping his newspaper taut. "Can't a man get a little peace for once?"

Gojyo briefly imagined the pleasure of a power failure at a critical moment. An assassin, he thought. It would be so terrible that he couldn't protect his _beloved_ master. Which, of course, he would _want_ to do, he thought, hard, as he felt the laws of robotics begin to niggle at his brain. He watched Hakkai somehow assume an air of even more polite deference.

" _Sir, I do not mean to presume, but Master Goku's medic-_ "

"Get the fuck out!" The flung paper scattered around Hakkai's feet. "And pick that up first!"

" _Of course, sir._ "

Hakkai gathered the paper and neatened it as if it had come straight from the shop. Sanzo snatched it back and waved irritably towards the door.

"Get lost, both of you. This is a civilized town, I don't need babysitters."

Outside the door, Gojyo looked in exasperation at Hakkai.

" _The. Previous. Sanzo. Was. An. OK. Guy. What. He. Saw. In. Our. Sanzo –_ "

" _Is an issue for those better versed in matters of the spirit than mere beings of metals and ceramic,_ " Hakkai said in such a pious tone that Gojyo laughed from sheer surprise. Hakkai smiled, a sly, amused sort of smile that he never displayed when humans were present. " _We should check on Master Goku,_ " he said, going to the next door. " _He's having those headaches again._ "

" _They. Don't. End. Well,_ " Gojyo said. " _We. Need. More. Meds._ "

" _I know. Master Sanzo will get them, I'm sure. Master Goku? Are you awake?_ " There was no response to Hakkai's knock, but when they went in they found Goku rolled up in his blankets on the bed.

"Go 'way," he said indistinctly. "I don't wanna have dinner."

" _That. Sounds. Serious. Kid. Come. On. You'll. Feel. Better. With. Food. In. You –_ "

Gojyo tried to unroll the blankets and staggered back as Goku exploded upwards, shoving him away violently. He gaped at the furious youth; he was _heavy_ , Goku shouldn't have done that so easily.

"I said I don't want any, you dumb transistor!"

Hakkai pounced like a snake striking, grabbing Goku up by the scruff of the neck and shaking him mercilessly.

" _Young man, you apologise right now! What sort of language is that?_ "

" _Fucking. Hell! Hakkai!_ " Gojyo yelled, finding himself readying himself for combat automatically. " _Put! Him! Down!_ "

Hakkai dropped Goku onto the bed and stood there, tapping one foot. He looked like nothing so much as an irritated teacher, Gojyo thought wildly. He hadn't just seen Hakkai go rogue. He _hadn't_.

" _Well?_ " Hakkai said.

"Sorry," Goku mumbled, rubbing his neck. Then he looked up, shame in his face. "Gojyo, I'm really sorry, I don't know why I said that, it was horrible."

" _We're. Ok._ " Gojyo said. " _You're. Just. Not. Well. I'll. Bring. You. Some. Soup. Stay. In. Bed._ " He nodded towards the door, then just grabbed Hakkai and dragged him outside. " _What. The. Hell?_ " he said, trying to modulate his vocal output towards the quieter end of the spectrum. " _You. Attacked. A. Human!_ "

" _Oh?_ " Hakkai said coolly. " _I thought it was just us and Goku in the room._ "

" _He's. A. Kid,_ " Gojyo said, horrified.

Hakkai was looking at him like he was speaking an unknown language. Then all at once he smiled, and was polite, easy-going Hakkai again.

" _Officials at court,_ " he said, " _face the tyrannical whims of the emperor, and those above them in the imperial hierarchy. They take out the frustrations on those beneath them, and so too do those men, until you reach those who have no one to terrorise but their own households, who in turn mistreat the android servants. Who do the androids have to vent their feelings upon?_ "

" _No-one,_ " Gojyo said.

" _You forget,_ " Hakkai said, stepping close to murmur in his ear. " _They so often put us in charge of their children._ " He stepped back and smiled sweetly into Gojyo's aghast face. " _I am terribly fond of Master Goku. Let's find a pharmacy and ask Master Sanzo if we can buy the medication for him._ "

Gojyo followed him down the hall, telling himself that things couldn't have been as bad as he thought. Hakkai's security subroutines hadn't cut in to stop him manhandling Goku, so he must not have really meant anything by it. Hakkai would be able to explain everything. He was a much smarter model than a dumb security android and could _make_ it make sense. Gojyo would listen.

He would.


End file.
